BECOMING THE PROTECTOR. 229 



friendly attitude of his host, he one day hopped 

 upon the perch beside him. This was a step 

 too far ; the house-owner turned an open beak 

 toward him, and in unmistakable tones told 

 him to leave — which he at once did, of course. 



This boundary made by the tanager was 

 never changed, but in the rest of the cage the 

 goldfinch made himself at home, and at once 

 assumed the position of protector. Seeing that 

 the owner did not, — and sure it was some- 

 body's duty, — he began to guard the door, 

 warning away any one who wished to enter, 

 with harsh scolding, fluttering of wings, and 

 swelling up of his little body, amusing to see. 

 The boldest bird in the room was awed by 

 these demonstrations coming from the inside as 

 though the cage were his own. The tanager 

 looked on all this with some interest, but ex- 

 pressed no more gratitude at being protected 

 than he had resentment at being driven from 

 the bath. 



Soon I noticed a certain chattering talk from 

 the small bird that he had never indulged in 

 excepting to another of his kind — his compan- 

 ion when he first came to me. It was very low 

 but almost continuous, and was plainly ad- 

 dressed to the tanager. As his friendliness 

 progressed, he found the lower perch too far 

 from his charmer, and not being allowed to sit 



